It is now nine-tenths of a century since I was born. My big sister, Barbara, is still 3 1/2 years older than I am and Susie is still almost a year older than I am.Today begins the 20 day period each year when Susie and I are the same age, but despite the fact that I fell in love with her more than 75 years ago, I still have not managed to catch up.
Later today I will do a zoom call with all my relatives on the West Coast, and I continue to plan for the study group I shall lead at Harvard beginning February 2. Thirty-three people have signed up now, including nine members of the faculty, and I am looking forward to it with great anticipation, but my pleasure at all of these things is compromised and undermined by the terrible events unfolding in Gaza and elsewhere.
I often describe myself as a Tigger, and it is true that I am in general a cheerful person, but it is difficult these days not to become an Eeyore.
Professor Wolff: Happy Birthday and congratulations on finishing your first 90 years. Here are some amusing philosophy-related facts from 1843, 90 years before you were born: William James was 1; Marx was 25; Kierkegaard was 30; Schelling and Schopenhauer were still around, the latter being a mere 55. And Nietzsche was 9.5 months away from being born (so perhaps he was a blastula floating around inside his 17 year-old mother). Ninety years sounds like a long time, but it’s only 32850 days, if one disregards the leap years.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat's happening in Gaza is, as you say, terrible. This morning, when I got up, as always, I turned up the radio news and they were reading the international news. The news from Gaza was followed by that from Ukraine and I realize that on some very deep psychic level I no longer distinguish Netanyahu from Putin. And that's not because I'm becoming senile.
As I said to my grandmother on her similar day: Welcome to Planet 90! It's greatly less bad than it seems. Both in especially dark times and at advanced birthdays, I've watched and re-watched the last scene of Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us and find it unhelpful (what could help?) but salutary. I think I've posted it before, but since I've watched it somewhere around 100 times . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaEnKGkj_cM&ab_channel=DevalShah
ReplyDeleteBonne anniversaire.
ReplyDelete(I'm not looking it up, but I think that's right. My French was never all that great, and it certainly isn't now.)
Happy birthday, I see Prof. Leiter has featured one of your posts.
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday, professor Wolff. The world is indeed in terrible shape, but from where all of us sit, your mind still seems sharp and vibrant. There's no reason why your 90s can't be a happy and productive decade. Here's wishing it will be!
ReplyDeletecongratulations
ReplyDeletedo you know, by the way, whether the US officially acknowledges its centenarians?
jw, there are about 90,000 centenarians in the U.S. An aunt and uncle lived to 104 and 106. A guy on our road made it to 100 and he was feted locally. The IRS tables for RMDs go to 118 or so. Hitting 100 isn't what it used to be.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday dear Professor and all the best!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Professor and best wishes for the coming year!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday and happy new year, and thanks for another year of sharing your thinking with me!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Professor Wolff! Ninety is the new Seventy, particularly for you since you are a man who loves life and loves to teach others, who desire to share your wisdom and Knowledge. I wish you and Suzie the best of health in the coming new year!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteDr.Wolff.
May I add my best wishes to you on your 90th birthday. I just had my 73rd b-day and I gather that is the new 53. My body tends to disagree with that most days, but what the hell, I thinks of myself as 38.
I remember citing your then unpublished article "How to Read Das Capital in my comprehensive exam because it finally made clear Marx's epistemology and was an important point i needed to make in the essay. I think that article, and/or Moneybags Must Be So Lucky are essential reading for everybody in hour seminar.
As my family says when toasting a friend, "Slainte" (to your health).
All the best to you and Suzie!